Category: NFL (Page 662 of 1282)

Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Duke Preston (C); Anthony Smith (S).

Offseason Losses: Mark Tauscher (OT); Colin Cole (DT).

Player to Watch: Aaron Rodgers, QB.
In throwing for 4,038 yards and 28 touchdowns in his first year as Green Bay’s starter, Rodgers made Packer fans completely forget about the Brett Favre era. Okay, so he didn’t do that, but he did put to rest a lot of the doubt fans had about whether or not he could become a legitimate franchise quarterback. Now entering his second year, Rodgers’ challenge is to take this team to the next level and get them into the playoffs. His best attribute is that he’s fundamentally sound and most of his success (unsurprisingly) comes when he gets the ball out of his hands quickly. He has also shown good mobility outside of the pocket and isn’t afraid to take a risk in order to cash in on a big play. The problem that he sometimes gets into is when he fails to progress through all of his reads. While this can be an issue for most quarterbacks, it’s the only thing that is holding Rodgers back from being great. He can’t fall into patterns of making pre-snap reads and then not adjusting when the defense reacts to where he wants to go with the ball. If he works through his progressions more and cuts down on the mistakes, he’s going to do big things in 2009.

Team Strength: While age is a problem, the Packers strength (at least on defense) is their secondary. At 33, Charles Woodson continues to be one of the top corners in the game and doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Al Harris is losing a step and didn’t have a great preseason, which is why many think that nickelback Tramon Williams will push for more playing time and eventually succeed Harris at the corner position opposite Woodson. Williams has excellent speed, as does dimeback Will Blackmon, and is an emerging starter. For as good as Woodson is, free safety Nick Collins is the star of this group. Collins is outstanding in coverage and seemingly knows where the quarterback wants to go with the ball every time he drops back to pass. He doesn’t play the run particularly well, but that job is reserved for hard-hitting strong safety Atari Bigby, so Green Bay doesn’t lose much in that area.

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Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Jovan Haye (DT); Nate Washington (WR); Patrick Ramsey (QB).

Offseason Losses: Albert Haynesworth (DT); Justin McCareins (WR); Brandon Jones (WR).

Player to Watch: Tony Brown, DT.
The Titans lost their biggest and best defender this offseason when Albert Haynesworth signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Redskins. So meet Tony Brown, the man responsible for filling Haynesworth’s massive shoes. At 6’3” and 285 pounds, Brown isn’t the gargantuan that the 6’7”, 320-pound Haynesworth is, but that’s not to say that Brown isn’t capable of manning his former teammate’s old position. He nearly made the Pro Bowl last season and while he definitely benefited from offensive lines doubling Haynesworth, Brown is great at getting off the ball and causing havoc in the opponent’s backfields. While replacing Haynesworth won’t be easy, if Brown learns how to handle double-teams then the Titans’ defensive line should be fine.

Team Strength: The Titans’ strength is that they carry out the Cover 2 scheme to perfection. Losing Haynesworth and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (who took over as head coach of the Lions) hurts, but Chuck Cecil is up to the task of taking over a unit that is technically sound as a group. Tennessee does an excellent job of keeping its linemen fresh by rotating them throughout the game. Their depth is outstanding and all of their linemen know how to disrupt their opponents’ game plans. But for as good as the Titans are up front, the secondary is what separates them from the pack. Cortland Finnegan has developed into a solid cover corner and while he needs to cut back on the penalties, he’s emerged as a rising star in the league. Nick Harper is aging but a perfect fit in the Cover 2 scheme based on his skill set and safeties Chris Hope and Michael Griffin know their jobs and carry out their assignments to a T. Of course, linebacker Keith Bulluck continues to be the heartbeat of the Titans’ defense.

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Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Igor Olshansky (DE); Keith Brooking (LB); Gerald Sensabaugh (S).

Offseason Losses: Terrell Owens (WR); Chris Canty (DE); Greg Ellis (DE); Zach Thomas (LB); Roy Williams (S).

Player to Watch: Tony Romo, QB.
Romo is at a crossroads in his career. He has the talent necessary to succeed and enough weapons around him to be great. But whether or not he takes the next step as a NFL quarterback is up to him. The Cowboys are hoping that with T.O. out of the picture, Romo can help this team cash in on its potential. If Romo elevates his game to the next level, the Cowboys can be as good as any team in the league. But if he continues to try and get by with only his athletic talent, he and the ‘Boys will once again fall short. The floor is yours, Tony.

Team Strength: With Owens gone, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will now be a run-first playcaller, which is good because the Cowboys are built to move the ball on the ground. They have a trio of capable backs in Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, who all bring something different to the field. Barber is a pile-mover when healthy and can be tough to bring down in the fourth quarter after a defense has been worn down. Jones is a speedster with rare explosion and Choice has excellent quickness and lateral movement. Granted, Barber and Jones need to stay healthy, but if Garrett uses a successful rotation for his backs then everyone should stay on the field in ’09. Fullback Deon Anderson is also a key component to the run game, not to mention an offensive line that features Flozell Adams, Marc Colombo, Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis, who all fit the mold of good-to-great run-blockers.

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Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Paul Spicer (DE); Darren Sharper (S); Jabari Greer (CB); Heath Evans (FB); Nick Leckey (C).

Offseason Losses: Mike McKenzie (CB); Deuce McAllister (RB); Josh Bullocks (S).

Player to Watch: Pierre Thomas, RB.
The Saints are a passing team first and foremost and considering he’ll share a workload with Reggie Bush, Thomas may not break the 1,000-yard rushing mark this season. But that doesn’t mean Thomas isn’t effective. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry last year and scored nine times on the ground. He was also proved to be a threat out of the backfield while hauling in 31 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. A sprained MCL has put a damper on the start of Thomas’ season (he might miss the Saints’ opener), but once he’s healthy he could become a household name this season.

Team Strength: The Saints have one of the best offensive lines in the NFC, led by left tackle Jammal Brown and right guard Jahri Evans. Brown is a mauler in the run game and gets most of the credit for the team’s success on offensive line, but Evans is New Orleans’ best all-around lineman. He’s strong, athletic and excels as a run-blocker. The rest of the line is comprised of right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, center Jonathan Goodwin and left guard Carl Nicks. As a unit, the Saints gave up a NFC-low in sacks last season with 13, which was one of the reasons quarterback Drew Brees had so much success. (On top of the fact that Brees makes quick decisions from the pocket.)

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Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Tony Gonzalez (TE); Mike Peterson (LB); Brian Williams (CB); Tye Hill (CB); Brett Romberg (C).

Offseason Losses: Michael Boley (LB); Keith Brooking (LB); Domonique Foxworth (CB); Lawyer Milloy (S); Grady Jackson (DT).

Player to Watch: Tony Gonzalez, TE.
It was clear after the Falcons made their remarkable playoff run in 2008 that the only thing missing from their potent offense was a pass-catching tight end that young signal caller Matt Ryan could use to work the middle of the field. Enter future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. While he’ll be expected to block more in Atlanta than he did in KC, if the preseason was any indication of how Gonzo will perform in his new surroundings, he’ll see plenty of opportunities to make plays in the passing game. Ryan often looked (and found) Gonzo on third downs this preseason and the pair has already formed chemistry despite ‘09 being their first year together in the same offense.

Team Strength: The Falcons have one of the most complete offenses in the league and can burn defenses in a variety of ways. As long as the 376 carries he received in ’09 didn’t wear him out, Michael Turner will again be the backbone of Atlanta’s offense. Even after trading for Gonzalez and re-signing playmaker Roddy White to a lucrative contract extension, the Falcons will remain a run-first team and won’t concern themselves with the number of carries Turner receives. When “The Burner” does need a rest, highlight reel speedster Jerious Norwood is the perfect compliment to Turner’s bruising style. While a sophomore slump is a concern, Ryan poured in hours of work this offseason to try and improve his footwork. He will also be better at reading defenses now that he has a full year of starting experience under his belt and has two excellent weapons at his disposal in White and Gonzalez. Speaking of White, the fifth-year player has emerged as a top 5 receiver and will lead the Falcons in receptions barring injury. No. 2 wideout Michael Jenkins has developed into a solid run-blocker and gives Ryan a tall target on third downs and in the red zone, as does veteran Brian Finneran.

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